Harmonica



May 13, 1947. F, SONNEN 2,420,450

HARMONICA Filed May 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I6' 6. 23a? f5 jld @EBEE EEE EIEEEEEE IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNESS May 13, 1947. Ft SONNEN 2,420,450

HARMONICA Filed May 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zig I4 [4a/45 2; I J4 l l [A @i MM @Mg L; :3l l2! Eig /J ATTORNESS Patented May 13,` 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARMONICA Fred Sonnen, Newark, N. J.

Application May 14, 1943, Serial No. 486,955

1 Claim.

Y g 1 i 'MTh-is` invention relates to improvements in musical instruments and refers more particularly toa harmonica.

object ofthe present invention is the provision of' a mouth harmonica of novel and improved construction which has a better and stronger tone.

Anothrjobject is the provision of a harmonica which is so constructed that the air currents produced by the player come into direct and immediate contact with the reeds and that the sound waves produced thereby are allowed to exu pand freely without interference from the adjacent parts of the harmonica.

Gth'er objects or the present invention will be come 'apparent in the course of the following specification.

The objects of the present invention may be realized through the provision of a harmonica which is provided with a comparatively large sound box, the walls of which converge in the direction of the mouth piece. The reeds are arranged on` reed plates in alignment with suitable passages in the sound box in such manner th'at thevibrating ends are located close to the mouth piece. The reed plates are covered by reed plate covers which have passages formed therein so that a direct flow of air current can take place between the sound box and the mouth piece. The slide is arranged to reciprocate in a direction transverse to the length of the harmonica. The invention will appear more clearly from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing, by Way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isa perspective View of a harmonica constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FigureZ is a top viewof the harmonica mouth piece, the mouth piece being partly broken away to illustrate the slide, on an enlarged scale from that shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line l3---3 Fig. 4 the interior of the mouth piece, onan enlarged scale from that shown in Fig. 1.

YFigure 4 is a cross section through the harmonica, on an enlarged scale from that shown in Fig. 1 and looking from left to right of Fig. l.

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5,--5 of Figure 4, on a further enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a front View oi a part of the sound box on an enlarged scale of that shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a front view of the reed plate carrying the reeds on an enlarged scale of that shown in Fig. l.

Figure 8 is a front View of a reed plate cover and illustrates the arrangement of the slide actuating spring on an enlarged scale of that sh'own in Fig. l.

Figure 9 is a section along the line 9--9 of Figure 8, looking in the direction of the arrows on an enlarged scale of that shown in Fig. l.

Figure l0 is a fragmental cross section taken on line lil-Iii, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, at an enlarged scale from that shown in Fig. 2.

A chromatic harmonica, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, comprises a mouth piece Ill, a slide II, a sound box I2, two reed plates I3, carrying reeds I4 of diierent sizes, and two reed plate covers I5 which contain the means I5 for actuating the slide II.

The mouth piece I is illustrated in Figures l to 4, and has the form of an elongated plate Il, provided with slanting side surfaces I8, as well as end surfaces IS. The mouth piece Id carries resilient somewhat curved skirt portions 2! and 2i, depending from the side portions I8, and adapted to clamp the mouth piece Ill firmly upon the end of the reed plate covers I5.

The mouth piece lil is provided with openings 22 which are the same size and disposed at equal distances one from the other. As shown in Figure 3, the inner surfaces of the mouth piece In may include converging portions 23 which lead to the edges of the openings 22. Furthermore, the webs A between the openings 22 may be joined by a central longitudinal bar or wall '24, and is located in the middle thereof, thereby dividing the opening into two halves. An air chamber 23A is formed between the longitudinal bar and slide I I.

As shown in Figure 4, the slide I I is located on top of the sound box I2, and is positioned between recesses B formed between the sides IS of the mouth piece I0. The slide II is provided with a number of openings 25, which are located in pairs, as illustrated in Figure 2. Each opening 25 may be aligned with an uncovered portion of an opening 22, extending between a longitudinal edge of the opening and the adjacent edge of the bar 2li.

Figures 4 and 5 show the sound box I2 as comprising converging walls 2l, as well as end walls 28. The walls 2l are provided with a series of openings 29, the size of which correspond to the size of the reeds lil. The openings 29 are so located that they are in alinement with the reeds I4. Furthermore, the openings 29 may be 3 brought into alignment with the channels 30 of the reed plate covers I5.

The reeds I4 are mounted in pairs upon the plate I3. Each pair of reeds includes a blow reed I 4A and I4B, respectively, located upon one side of the plate over the usual slot, and a, draw reed I4A and I4B, respectively, located in a similar manner on the opposite side of the plate. The reeds I4 are attached to the plate I3 by small pins or pivots 28.

As already stated, the reed plate covers I are provided with' channels or cells 30, which are located in alignment with the openings 29 and provide ready access to the reeds I4.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the openings 29, and the cells 30, decrease progressively in length corresponding to the decrease in length of the reeds I4.

The slide I I is reciprocated in the direction of the arrow 3l transversely of the longitudinal extension of the harmonica by means of a spring I6. The spring I6 has a wider curved portion 3| which' is situated outside of a reed plate cover I5, and may fit into a recess formed therein. This portion 3l of the spring I6 is integral or firmly connected with a narrower portion 32 which extends through an inner channel 33 formed in the reed plate cover I5, and illustrated in Figure 9. The channel 33 should be so dimensioned that it will permit the spring I6 to reciprocate suiiiciently in order to move the slide I I to the desired extent. The upper end 34 of th'e spring I6 passes through and is firmly attached to the slide II by a bentover portion. A small coil spring 35 (Figure 10) may be located directly opposite the end 34 of the spring I6 and may be used to maintain the slide II in a first operating position. In this iirst operating position, channels 30 in one cover I5 are open and in communication with openings 22 while the channels in the other cover are closed. When slide II is moved by spring I5 transversely of bar 24 to its second operating position, the channels 30 that were open are closed and similarly those th'at were closed are now open and in communication with openings The described harmonica is played in the usual manner by blowing or drawing air through the mouth piece openings 22. The player actuates the slide II by pressing against the exposed portion 3| of the spring I6, or by releasing this pressure. It is apparent that an air current created at the openings 22 of the mouth piece will reach directly the cells 30' of the reed plate covers I5, and will immediately produce the vibration of the reed or reeds located next to these cells. The sound waves produced by this vibration will be immediately expanded and amplified in the interior of the sound box I2.

The spring I6 is so located that the player does not have to change the position of his hand.

It is apparent that the described construction wherein there is immediate and direct contact and communication between the reeds on the one hand, and the sound box and the mouth piece openings on the other hand, is a considerable improvement over prior art wherein air currents had to traverse comparatively large distances through narrow cells, and had to flow along the entire length of the reeds before being able to ,4 produce the vibration of the reeds; furthermore, no direct and immediate amplification and expansion of the sound waves was possible in prior art constructions, wherein reeds were enclosed on all sides by heavy parts.

It is apparent that the illustration shown above has been given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, and that the described construction is subject to wide variations and modifications without departing from the scope or intent of the present invention. For instance, a chromatic harmonica may be replaced by a harmonica of the regular type.

What is claimed is:

A harmonica, comprising a mouthpiece having equal uniformly disposed openings formed therein, a bar extending across said openings and separating them into uncovered portions and portions closed by said bar, a slide having openings formed therein, said slide being transversely movable in said mouthpiece, a sound-box below said slide, said mouthpiece and said slide forming an air chamber therebetween, two reed plates having reed slots formed therein and each located on opposite sides of said sound-box, said sound-box having openings formed therein in alinement with said reeds and in communication therewith', covers located oneach of saidreed plates and connected with said mouthpiece, said covers having a plurality of inner air chambers in communication with said mouthpiece air chamber, each of said cover air channels being alined with a pair of said reed slots and in communication therewith, reeds mounted on opposite sides of each of said reed plates and in said reed slots and in each pair oi reed slots one of said reeds being connected to one side of one of said reed plates and the other of said reeds being connected to the opposite side of said reed plate, said reeds being connected with saidreed plates at their lower ends and their upper and vibrating ends being situated adjacent said air chamber, a leaf spring extending through and intermediate the ends of one of said covers and having an end connected with said slide, whereby said slide is reciprocally movable transversely to the direction of said bar, and resilient means connected to the other of said covers and pressing against said slide,

FRED SONNEN.

REFERENCES CITED rIhe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 588,107 Fairfield Aug. 10, 1897 892,672 Messner July 7, 1908 1,735,645 Hostetter Nov. 12, 1929 2,005,443 Steele June 18, 1935 2,335,453 Scherer Nov. 30, 1943 1,518,257 Dusinberre Dec. 9, 1924 2,190,633 Friend Feb. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,296 Great Britain 1898 272,737 Italy May 20, 1930 299,801 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1929 

